Vernier feed control



Sept. 16, 1958 i c. PETERSON 2,852,285

VERNIER FEED CONTROL Filed Dec; 25, 1955 I f H 5 INVENTOR. CARL PETERSON VERNTER FEED CONTROL Carl ?eterson, Cranston, R. 1.

Application December 23, 1955, Serial No. 555,624

Claims. (Cl. 287-3) My present invention relates to stock feeding devices, and more particularly to a vernier control device for such feeds.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a device for making fine adjustments in stock feeding mechanisms.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vernier feed control mechanism which can be readily attached to difierent types of feed mechanisms.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device which can be easily installed and operated without changes in existing stock feeding devices.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vernier control device which is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts, more fully described in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of astock feed hook-up, showing the position of the control of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the vernier control device.

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a diagram of the change in feed effected by the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a section through the vernier and the arms as shown in Fig. 1.

in feeding strip stock through a die in a power driven press, it is essential that the feed be accurate and that a minimum of stock be wasted. In a single stage operation, it is customary to reduce the spacing between punches of the press to a minimum in order to reduce waste of material. Accurate feeds are usually multiple pawl and ratchet, friction, or slide feeds. In a press operation, such feeds are operated by lever arms which are pivotally attached to operating arms extending from a wheel attached to the press shaft. The operating arm is eccentrically mounted on the wheel, and the degree of eccentricity governs the length of the feed stroke. Adjustment is made by loosening a bolt and tapping the connection in or out and retightening the bolt. Fine adjustments are impossible.

The present invention is designed to overcome this by providing a simple vernier control which permits fine stroke adjustments to be easily made from 0 up to A2" in thousandths or less.

Referring to the drawings illustrating my invention, Fig. 1 shows the general hook-up in a power driven press feed. The feed mechanism 10 is operated by a lever 11. conventionally, the lever is reciprocated up and down, running free in one direction and feeding in the other 2,852,285v Patented Sept. 16, 1958 ice direction. The length of the lever stroke governs the amount of feed. The press is provided with a wheel 12 having a slot 13 extending as a diameter across the wheel. An operating arm 14 is provided with a bearing 15 which is bolted in the slot 13. It is thus obvious that the length of the operating stroke is governed by the distance of the bearing 15 from the center of the wheel 12. This is adjustable. The lower end of the operating arm 14 is normally pivotally connected to the outer end of the lever arm 11. However, at this point the vernier control 16 is mounted to permit the fine adjustments described herein.

Referring to Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive, the device 16 comprises a rectangular block or housing 17 having an integral bolt 1% extending from its rear wall. The block 17 is provided with a rectangular opening 19 extending longitudinally therethrough. A slot 20 extends longitudinally along the front of the block 17 and communicates with the opening 19. Each end of the block 17 and opening 19 is provided by a closure plate 21 bolted to the block 17, see Fig. 5.

A second, thinner bolt 22 is provided with a rectangular block head 23 of a size to fit into the opening 19 in the block 17 with the bolt 22 extending outwardly through the slot 20. The head 23 is provided with an internally threaded opening longitudinally therethrough. Referring to Fig. 5, a threaded shaft 24- extends through the block opening 19 and through the head 23. The shaft 24- is supported in the closure plates 21 and is held in place by a bearing 25 and bolt 26 at one end, and by a bearing 27 and enlarged knurled head 28 at the other end. The bearings 25 and 27 permit tightening of the shaft 24 to take out any play and still permit rotation.

It is thus apparent that turning movement of the shaft 24 by means of the knurled head 28 will result in sliding movement of the head 23 in the opening 19. This will move the bolt 22 along the block 17 axially with respect to the fixed bolt 18.

A collar 29 is slipped over the bolt 22 and is provided with an integral plate 30 having laterally extending jaw portions 31 and 32 which extend over the upper and lower surfaces of the base block 17 as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

Referring to Fig. 4, the top surface of the block 17 may be provided with markings 33 which indicate a central line and graduations at each side. Similarly, the top edge of the jaw 31 may be bevelled and provided with a center line 34 to make the reading. For mounting the device, the outer end of the bolt 18 is threaded at 35 and the bolt 22 is similarly threaded at 36.

Now referring to the general hookup shown in Fig. 1, the mechanism 1a; is first mounted at the end of the lever arm 11 by passing the bolt 18 transversely through an opening at the end and locking it in position with a conventional nut. The device should be mounted as shown in Figs. 2 to 5 with the markings at the top. A coupling device 37 is slipped over the collar 29 and a large nut or knob threaded over the end of the bolt 22 to hold the coupling in place and to lock the plate 30 in position. Viewing the position shown in Fig. 2, the end of the lever 11 will be pivotally mounted on the bolt 18 and the coupling device 37 at the end of the power arm 14 will be mounted on the collar 29 and held in place by a nut on the threads 36 of the bolt 22. Thus vertical re ciprocation of the power arm 14 will move the vernier downwardly and the bolt 18 will carry the lever 11 with it.

The device will be facing in the position shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. To make an adjustment, the nut or knob at the end of the bolt 22 is loosened and the knurled head 28 is turned. This will cause the head 23 and bolt 22, carrying the coupling 37, to move in a direction parallel to the axis of the lever 11. In efiect, this movement shortens or lengthens the distance from the center of the feed 10 to the pivot connection with the power arm 14. Thus while the power stroke remains constant, the lever length is changed. In this manner a fine adjustment of the feed can be made by turning the head 28 without disturbing the hook-up.

The efiect is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6. If the point 38 represents the inner end of the lever, and the point 39 represents the coupling connection 37, then the solid lines 40 indicate the eflective feed stroke. Movement outwardly of the point 39 to a point 41 will reduce the stroke to the dotted lines 42. Movement iri wardly to a point 43 will increase the stroke to the lines 44. Note that the increase or decrease in the feed stroke is small compared to the movement of the pivot point. Thus, the block opening 19 is sufficiently long for an adjustment of approximately 4'. This will provide a feed adjustment of approximately A8" or plus or minus 5 from the center.

The device thus provides a simple method of making a Vernier adjustment in a stock feed without disturbing the power arm assembly. In use, the machinist makes his rough adjustment at the wheel 12 and the fine adjustment at the device 16. The device is simple to manufacture and assemble and easy to install and operate. Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a press feed drive wherein a horizontally re ciprocable driven arm is pivotally attached to a vertically reciprocable driving arm, a vernier control for adjusting the reciprocation of said driven arm comprising a base member mounted adjacent the free end of said driven arm, an adjustable member mounted on said base member and having a relative movement parallel to the driven arm, and means pivotally connecting said adjustable member with said driving arm, said base member comprising a rectangular block, said block having a longitudinal slot, said adjustable member having a portion slidably mounted in said slot, said adjustable member comprising a bolt having a rectangular head slidable in said base slot, and a sleeve mounted on said bolt and having extending portions at its upper and lower edges overlapping the top and bottom of said base block.

2. In a press feed drive wherein a horizontally reciprocable driven arm is pivotally attached to a vertically reciprocable driving arm, a vernier control for adjusting the reciprocation of said driven arm comprising a base member mounted adjacent the free end of said driven arm, an adjustable member mounted on said base member and having a relative movement parallel to the driven arm, and means pivotally connecting said adjustable member with said driving arm, said base member comprising a rectangular block, said block having a longitudinal slot, said adjustable member having a portion slidably mounted in said slot, and a threaded shaft extending axially through said slot and threadedly engaging said adjustable member.

3. In a press feed drive wherein a horizontally reciprocable driven arm is pivotally attached to a' vertically reciprocable driving arm, a vernier control for adjusting the reciprocation of said driven arm comprising a base member mounted adjacent the free end of said driven arm, an adjustable member mounted on said base member and having a relative movement parallel to the driven arm, and means pivotally connecting said adjustable member with said driving arm, said base member comprising a rectangular block, said block having a rectangular opening extending longitudinally therethrough and a narrow slot portion extending from said opening to the face of said block, said adjustable member having a portion slidably mounted in said opening, and a threaded shaft extending axially through said opening and threadedly engaging said adjustable member.

4. In a press feed drive wherein a horizontally reciprocable driven arm is pivotally attached to a vertically reciprocable driving arm, a Vernier control for adjusting the reciprocation of said driven arm comprising a base member mounted adjacent the free end of said driven arm, an adjustable member mounted on said base mem ber and having a relative movement parallel to the driven arm, and means, pivotally connecting said adjustable member with said driving arm, said base member comprising a rectangular block, said block having a longitudinal slot, said adjustable member having a portion slidably mounted in said slot, said adjustable member comrising a bolthaving a rectangular head slidable in said base slot, and a sleeve mounted on said bolt .and having extending portions at its upper and lower edges overlapping the top and bottom of said base block, and a threaded shaft extending axially through said slot and threadedly engaging said adjustable member.

5. In a pressfeed drive wherein a horizontally reciprocable driven arm is pivotally attached to a, vertically recipro'cable driving arm a vernier control for adjusting the reciprocation of said driven arm comprising a base member mounted adjacent the free end of said driven arm, an adjustable member mounted on said base member and having a relative movement parallel to the driven arm, and means pivotally connecting said adjustable member with said driving arm, said base member comprising a rectangular blo'ck, said block having a rectangular opening extending longitudinally there: through and a narrow slotportion' extending from said opening to the face ofsaid block, said adjustable member having a portion slidably mounted in said opening, and an integral bolt extending from the rear of said block, said adjustable member comprising a bolt having a rectangular head slidable in said base slot; and a sleeve mounted on said bolt and having extending portions at its upper and lower edges overlapping the top and bottom of said base block, and a threaded shaft extending axiallythrough said opening and threadedly engaging said adjustable member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS, 

